Road patching project starts Monday

Friday

Mar 28, 2014 at 5:00 PM

By Dennis PelhamDaily Telegram Staff Writer

Relief is on the way for drivers dodging potholes on Occidental Highway and Valley Road.

The route will be closed from M-52 to Sutton Road at about 7:30 a.m. Monday, March 31, for the Lenawee County Road Commission to begin an extensive hot-patching project, said operations manager Jason Schnaidt.

The road commission’s DuraPatcher and two hot-patching trucks are to go to work filling holes on the badly deteriorated pavement while through traffic is detoured away from the work zone, said Schnaidt.

Sections of the five-mile route will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day throughout the week as patching work proceeds toward Tecumseh, he said.

“I think we’ll be able to get it done in five days,” he said.

Aging pavement on the busy route suffered serious damage over the winter. Cold-patch material provided a temporary fix, said Schnaidt, while the road commission waited for temperatures in the 50s to allow more permanent patching with hot asphalt material.

“It’s still going to be a rough ride, but at least they won’t be damaging their cars,” Schnaidt said.

Funding for an estimated $1.3 million resurfacing project is expected to be available in 2015.

The hot-patching project was originally planned for mid-March, but lingering cold delayed the work. Schnaidt said the road commission ordered 9,000 gallons of asphalt emulsion on Thursday for delivery in time to be used Monday morning. The entire 9,000 gallons could be used on the Occidental Highway route, he said.

Once that patching project is finished, he said, the three hot-patching crews will be dispersed to begin fixing holes on paved roads around the county. Matthews Highway near Tecumseh and Country Club Road in Adrian Township are among those with pothole problems, he said.

Potholes problems could worsen as the thawing process continues. Roads have been thawing very gradually in the past few weeks, he said. Seasonal weight and speed restrictions for trucks went into effect on county roads on March 7. A formula based on daily temperatures indicates the restrictions may have to remain in place until the end of April, he said.

The slow melt has helped avoid localized road flooding that was expected this month due to the amount of snow and ice. No roads are currently closed due to high water, said Schnaidt.